As Maine prepared for the first major snow event of the season Monday, Saddleback Mountain officials announced the resort would open for the season Friday, Dec. 5.

Lifts will open at 9 a.m. with service on the Rangeley, South Branch and Kennebago quad chairlifts. Top-to-bottom skiing and riding will be available on Tri Color, Upper and Lower Green Weaver, Mickey Finn, Upper Hudson Highway, Blue Devil and Smelt Streamer, in addition to others as snowmaking and natural snow permit.

“Thanks to below-average temperatures over the past two weeks, the resort has been able to make snow around the clock, and will look to expand terrain rapidly, with cold weather expected to persist through next week,” Ethan Austin, director of marketing, wrote in a news release Monday.

Saddleback will remain open through the weekend but will close temporarily Monday, Dec. 8, through Thursday, Dec. 11, before reopening for daily operations on Friday, Dec. 12.

“The upgrades we’ve made to our snowmaking system over the last five years have allowed us to make more snow, more quickly than ever before,” said Jim Quimby, Saddleback general manager. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the Saddleback family back to kick off our 65th season.”

Saddleback was recently named the #1 Resort in The East by SKI Magazine, in its annual reader survey.

The SKI Magazine Reader Survey is the longest running and most comprehensive ranking in the ski industry, in which readers rank resorts in numerous categories, including lifts, grooming, dining, guest service, value and overall satisfaction.

“It is widely regarded as the most prestigious and coveted resort ranking in the North American ski industry,” Austin said.

Guests will also notice a Wi-Fi network overhaul, which will provide faster and more reliable internet connectivity at the resort.

“Work also continues on a number of real estate development projects, including the Morning Glory and Alpine Village developments,” Austin said.

The resort is planning a Birthday Bash on New Year’s Eve, in celebration of the 65th anniversary of Saddleback’s Jan. 1, 1960, opening. The celebration will include daytime events, a special birthday cake cutting, fireworks, a New Year’s Eve dinner at the Nest, and a New Year’s Eve party in the Pub.

The resort closed in 2015 when the former owners put the resort up for sale and no sale materialized with prospective buyers. Arctaris Impact Fund finalized the purchase of the resort in January 2020 and reopened the mountain in late 2020.

Saddleback, with a summit of 4,120 feet, is Maine’s third-largest ski mountain. The resort boasts one of the highest base lodges in New England at 2,460 feet.

For complete conditions information, or to purchase opening weekend lift tickets, visit www.saddlebackmaine.com.